Growing media and the environment lobby in the UK 1997-2001

Since an earlier review (Carlile, 1997) on environmental issues and the use of growing media, pressure groups in the UK have continued to lobby against companies involved in peat extraction. Environmental concerns have intensified in the UK in recent years and some prestigious organisations with a high public profile have announced anti-peat measures. The National Trust of England and Wales has from 1999 decided to phase out peat within its horticultural operations. The Royal Society for Protection of Birds, with over 1m members in the UK, has called for a moratorium on the use of peat in horticulture. In view of the fact that in the late 1990s over 70% of peat in the UK was used for plants grown and purchased by amateur (hobby) gardeners, the environmental pressure is now directed at this market. These pressures are primarily focused around efforts to reduce or stop peat extraction on lowland raised bogs in the UK that are considered to be rare habitats. The proposed designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) may influence the extent of peat extraction in England. The environment lobby in the UK has stimulated research into alternatives to peat, as well as studies into bog regeneration but paradoxically, manufacturers of growing media have undertaken most of this research.